The Washington critic., 1887-12-15
THE VISITORS GUIDE.
Objects of Interest In and About the
National Capital.
THE GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS.
Parks, Squares, Statues, Gardens and
Other Points Of Attraction.

Washington has already become the
most attractive city Of the country. As
the Capital of the Nation 1t presents
more objects Of interest to the visitor
than any other on the continent, and
brief directory of It's prominent points
will be of service to the vast number of
persons who annually resort to the po-
litical metropolis. For 1t Is estimated
that over three hundred thousand
strangers pay q visit every year to this
city to behold the varied objects Of In.
terest which 80 thiclsly stud the his.
toric "Ten Miles Square"
The system or Numbering Houses.
Numbers arc displayed over the entrances to
aao,,, al houses. @ and the decimal system; as
or commencing al First street west.
running west, First street east, running
street south, running south. The odd M mum. a.
bers are always On the right hand side go
Ing from % The CapltSl; and the even numbers
| into four quarters or sections northeast and
northwest southeast and southwest. the
snSsr 0sng Shs thos
| those running east md west by the letters
q the alphabet, the dividing lines being
on, a line due north aud south from the. Cap.
itol and East Capitol street, and continue
tion on the same west Of the Capitol, run
ming due east and west.
The Capitol.
This great building is the central point Of the
original District, and is the largest edifce
In the country It's centre marks ,,s the Me-
Immediately under the. dome, is the part
first built. It was partially destroyed by the
b byss 5 In Il @ nsoses s TS ss si0fS fSd
remains Of Washington were Intended TO be
placed, the Library of Congress, for which q
Of the Capitol, across First street east, the Ro-
tunda, the cid Represen,atives Hall, now tho
Gallery S spa aSe old "a Cham
prcme Courtroom, In the iirst story Is now oc-
snpied by tho Law Braneh Of the Library.
the north and south wings-was laid July. q,
1851, Daniel Webster delivering the GRAFTON
Of, tho occasion from the balcony of the
House ' Of Rspressntatives, and the i,'' north i
ttinsalshed for It's historic paipting, for the
relieis, and for Brumldi's irescoings In tho
Hall OF statuary are the natural pictures of
tain, American statesmep-a picturesque
freak OF nature, From the little rotunda,
| Immediately north of the great rotunda, the
winding way. From the top OF the dome, or
| as far as the visitor can ascend, the view
Of the surrounding country y magniiicent.
been transformed into beautiful park and are
Of the Capitol Is 500 feet above ordinary low
| tide the Potomac. The total height from east
base to the top OF the templs ooyerlng thedome
1876 feet, making the total height to the crest of
the statue s05jh feet. This crest is $40 feet
higher than the west gate Of tho grounds, and nd
feet lower than the apex OF the Washington
Monument, which is Immediately west. The
~ acres. II is the hnest and largest public
building in the world. and in many respects the
costliest and haudsomest 1t Is moreover the
ards te rs 'Sss Soaats and Interest," The % original
f. Capitol, or centre building, is an imitation,
though not slavish one, OF the Maison Garree
| at Nismes. The view from the west portico at
grounds and the lights Of the city illuminate
picturesque in the world and Is well worth a
Journey OF Thousand miles to see. The new
western facade and grand stair case COM
pearance Of that front Of the Capitol, and Is
one Of the finest II not the finest work. of the
kind in this country The cars and herdics run
| ming on Pennsylvania avenue, the brown cars
of the BELT" system, and the E'street cars all
pass the Capitol.
The White House.
From the west balcony OF the, capitol, looking
down Pennsylvania avenue the White House
dense mass OF foliage that embowers It, like u
sans f basy lily ,gr no up F oS Se s pss sHoa &
tervening Treasury. building the view Of the
White House from the Capitol would be full
OF "Up-town," as the Capitol y the center Of
"Down town" It Is beautifully located the
view from the south windows covering the
whole southern front Of the city, 8s the view
from the north up sixteenth street west ex-
hibits the best part Of the Northwest section
10 the gaze. The White House is copy OF
| the Daluca nf fha Duke Df Leinhter at Dubltn.
with the addition OF large porch on the north
front, which was added 3D. during Andrew " Jack Jack,
1t stands embraces nearly 81 acres. The main
entrance is on the north. reached by the Penn
sylyania avenue cars II Y two stories high
feet long by 81 wide. 1t contains on the first
floor the famous Green, Red, Blue and East
conservatories. i' The Blue Room is the Presi-
dents oficial reception room and the drawing
room Of the ladies of his family. The East Room,
used as late as 1881, and in the latter part Of
the century gssa q for sloths
open 70 visitors every day except sundays.
fs fs Hs ahe thsss Sna
except the latter are open TO visitors by special
permission, at suitable hours.
The washington Monument. r.
Immediately south OF the White House stands
the washington Monument, the loftiest struc-
ture erected by man, and The most imposing
BILE, b55 feet high above It's base, which is 42
feet above tlie.water. Its cornerstone was
laid July 4 1873 and the cap-stone, forming
the apex, was placed In position December d,
1884. In II are lsi blocks of inserted stones or
copper, gifts from various countries and So
cietes. The total cost will be over 81, $50 900.
1t is situated In what will ultimately be a
beautiful park. Inside the Monument is large
hydraulic elevator, used to raise the blocks of
stone during Its erection. When an appropria-
tion Is made, which will probably be done by
the Fiftieth Congress, this elevator will he
Monument lighted by electricity and opened 10
the public. In the apex of the Monument are
eight windows, closed by marble shutters, af-
fordng an unsurpassed view OF the city and
surrounding country. AT present no one Is ad-
mitlei to the Monument
Lafayette square.
Immediately north OF the White House Is Lafay-
etle Square, the first public reservation IN
Washington that was improved. II contains
the equestrian statue OF Andrew jackson, by
Clark Mills. Many of Its trees are old forest
monarchs, hundreds OF years old. II Is In part
q specimen of the old formal Landscape. garden.
ing so fashionaole In England two hundred
years ago, a style that was imported into this
country. Lafayette Square was, one hundred
years ago, partef graveyard that inelosed
is built, and the square east, on which are sit
uated the Attorne, Generals oifice formerly
the Freedman Bank), the Surgeon Generals
office and higgs Bank tboth IN the building
Commodore Decatnrs house, corner Fifteenth
and a-halt and II streets, and the old Club
House, near which Philip Barton Key was
killed by Daniel t. sickles, Member OF Con
: this graveyard were not removed until 1919.